Given the importance and increasing relevance of migration strategies, the European Migration Network (EMN) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have elaborated an Inform which provides a comparative analysis of migration strategies that have been introduced since 2018 and are currently still in place in EMN Member and Observer Countries and non-EU OECD Countries. It highlights variations in the approaches to migration strategies across countries, and shows inter alia that:

• Twenty-two EMN Member Countries and three EMN Observer Countries have at least one migration strategy. Of these, 11 countries have both an overarching migration strategy – which covers at least three different migration policy fields – and at least one sectoral strategy, covering one or two fields related to migration and asylum. Ten EMN Member Countries only have a sector-specific migration strategy. All three EMN Observer Countries have overarching strategies in place. Three EMN Member Countries reported having no strategy.
   
• Among EMN Member Countries, the most common sectors covered by overarching or sectoral strategies include irregular migration, followed by integration, regular migration, asylum, contingency planning and the external dimension. In EMN Observer Countries, the sectors most covered included irregular migration, regular migration, integration and asylum.
   
• Various public bodies are tasked with developing overarching strategies in the EMN Member Countries, with the Ministry of the Interior being most often responsible for migration strategies. Stakeholders like local government, the private sector etc. are also involved in setting overarching strategy objectives.
   
• Objectives of the strategies and the methodologies for their formulation vary widely across countries depending on the policy field and the actors coordinating the process. Duration of both overarching and sectoral strategies also differs widely, including strategies that are open-ended, span more than a decade, or cover 4-8 years or a more limited timeframe.
   
• Migration strategies are often linked with other policies, both national and international. 
   
• Methods to implement migration strategies vary and depend on the type and scope of the strategy. Eight EMN Member Countries and two Observer Countries utilise annual action or implementation plans. Other methods include calls for projects, legislative procedures, cooperation with civil society and international organisations etc.
   
• Dissemination of migration strategies to the public and interest groups takes place in various ways. Some countries have formal communication strategies, others use events to communicate with stakeholders e.g. via live events. Putting strategies online is a method used by 15 EMN Member Countries and Georgia.
   
• Monitoring the implementation of strategies is carried out by many EMN Member Countries, typically by the authority that developed it. Several countries have mechanisms in place to update their strategies, for instance, linking updates to their monitoring and evaluation processes.
   
• Limited input from target groups is one of the challenges faced by EMN Member Countries in developing their strategies, while changing migratory contexts can be an obstacle to implementation.
   
• Good practices were identified in the development and implementation of migration strategies, including inter-ministerial coordination, inclusive consultation processes, and the establishment of new structures to better integrate and protect migrants and diaspora groups.
   
• In non-EU OECD countries like Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, national migration strategies are used to set migration targets while others focus on general policy direction without specific targets. Japan and South Korea emphasise legislative reforms and migration management in their five-year plans. Canada's 2023 migration strategy review, which included extensive consultations, serves as a good example of how to update national strategies.

For further details, please read the Inform attached above.